Arsenal and England players Leah Williamson and Lotte Wubben-Moy will meet the Secretary of State for Education in November as the Lionesses push for young girls to be able to follow in their footsteps.
After winning the Euros this summer, the whole victorious England squad signed an open letter to the then Conservative Party leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.
In it they called for all girls to be given the chance to play football at school, while they also asked for the Government to ensure girls have access to at least two hours of PE each week and the guidance of female teachers in the subject.
Truss has since been made Prime Minister and the England squad met with her on Monday as she visited a training session at the Lensbury Hotel in London.
Truss then had a meeting with captain Williamson and Wubben-Moy, who was the driving force behind the letter. The FA’s director of women’s football Baroness Sue Campbell and CEO, Mark Bellingham, were also present.
The England players were not given assurances yet about their demands being met, but Williamson and Wubben-Moy will meet the Secretary of State for Education, Kit Malthouse, for further talks.
“Lotte and Leah will meet the Secretary of State for Education in early November,” Campbell told Sky Sports.
“Talking to the civil servants there, we want to try and make sure there’s some progress made before that meeting, so that we can see we are beginning to move and go on the journey.
“I think it’s important to emphasise the players, this is not a gesture from the players. This is a passion.
“They are not going to back off this. They’re very committed and just like the determination you see on the field, they’re just as determined to make this happen.
“They talked about this on the bus going to the celebration event at Trafalagar Square and they’d had about an hour sleep, I think between them.
“This is something that comes from them. It isn’t coming from us and that’s what makes it special. Am I proud of these players? I’ve always been incredibly proud of these players.
“But this really matters to them and it’s always mattered to me, that we give girls an equal opportunity to be whatever that it is they want to be and PE and sport is such a fantastic foundation for young women.
“To give them confidence, give them self assurance, whether they will go on to play football is not really what it’s about. It’s about inspiring positive change for girls and women. They’re absolutely committed to that and yes, I’m very, very proud.
“The timescale is as long as it takes if we’re honest. The meeting is early November, but we will keep going for as long as it takes. They will, and I will support them.”
